Looking backwards, seeing greatness: PPI’s visionary artistic instinct over the decades (Part 2)
Dear friends of PPI,
The trip down memory lane continues, and my veneration for what PPI’s small team has always been able to pull off continues to grow. I hope you share this feeling of awe as we look at the season lineups from 20 and 10 years ago, remembering that PPI’s mission has always been twofold: to bring great talent to Oregon, but also to cultivate a platform for rising stars. Just glancing at the names, without even delving deeply into their artistry, it becomes crystal clear that, even though hindsight is 20/20, foresight is an art form in itself. PPI clearly has a knack for it.
20 years ago, for season 2006-2007, we featured:
Murray Perahia (American) – who, by 2006, was already recognized as one of the greatest living pianists. As the winner of the 1972 Leeds competition he’s widely celebrated today as one of his generation’s most revered master musicians and currently holds the title of Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields.
Nelson Freire (Brazilian) – a Brazilian master pianist (and legendary duo partner to Martha Argerich) who passed away in 2021 but left a legacy of deeply sensitive recordings. By the time he performed for PPI, he was nominated for back-to-back Grammys and had already received a lifetime achievement from the French Victoires de la Musique.
John Lill (British) – who had won the International Tchaikovsky competition in 1970, was already a highly esteemed master by the time he came to Lincoln Hall. In 2019, he quietly retired from the grueling international stage after an astonishing career of over 5,000 concert appearances.
Angela Hewitt (Canadian) – the undisputed doyenne of Bach interpretation (this debut performance at Lincoln Hall was, in fact, part of her highly publicized Bach World Tour), who is still a beloved and returning face at PPI. She is currently performing her massive global Mozart Odyssey project alongside running the annual Trasimeno Music Festival.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet (French) – remains a dazzling international force, celebrated for his French repertoire and star-studded chamber music tours. 20 years ago, he already had a reputation as one of the world’s finest pianists with diverse interests beyond the classical world.
Sir Stephen Hough (British-Australian) – who was a household name in classical music by 2006. He still actively tours, composes, and was recently named Artistic Director of the Leeds Piano Competition.
Roberto Plano (Italian) – who had been a finalist at the Van Cliburn Competition in 2005 and a laureate at the Dublin Competition in 2006. PPI caught him right as his international touring career was exploding. Today, he blends an international recital career with university teaching, recently launching a celebrated “Mathematics & Music” series.
10 years ago, for season 2016-2017, we featured:
Denis Kozhukhin (Belgian) – who, back then, was a fairly recent winner of the Queen Elizabeth Competition (2010). Today, his career has exploded into superstar territory, and he is currently on a massive global tour featuring consecutive-night marathons of the complete Rachmaninoff concertos.
Tamara Stefanovich (German-Serbian) – who was already known for her fearless championing of complex, modern repertory. She returned to us last season to a packed Lincoln Hall and has become an influential avant-garde tastemaker, recently winning widespread acclaim for her landmark contemporary “recital marathons”.
Nelson Goerner (Argentine) – who brought immense gravity and musical authority to that particular season as a towering figure of the Argentine piano school. He still headlines major European summer festivals, teaches at two prestigious academies in Europe and maintains his legendary two-piano partnership with Martha Argerich.
Llŷr Williams (Welsh) – who came to Portland at a pivotal moment in his career (first exploding into the British public eye in the early 2000s, winning the same Borletti-Buitoni Trust award that Filippo Gorini would receive in 2020!) today maintains a major recording contract (accompanying the legendary operatic bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel) alongside prestigious conservatory residencies.
Paavali Jumppanen (Finnish) – who was at the height of a multi-year artistic peak in 2016/2017, not only recording a massive multi-album Beethoven Piano Sonata Cycle, but also the complete Debussy Preludes. Today, he has transitioned into an influential academic leader, serving as the Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music.
From cementing the names of legendary titans in the hearts and minds of Oregonians to taking bold, visionary bets on the future: PPI does it all. Will you join us for our 2026/2027 season and be part of the legacy?